D-backs wow with cutting-edge new uniforms

PHOENIX -- The D-backs will have plenty of uniform combinations to choose from in 2016, as the team on Thursday unveiled eight uniform sets, which can also be mixed and matched to form even more looks.

"My head is spinning kind of figuring out what kind of matching they're going to do," outfielder A.J. Pollock said. "We have so many different types of combinations we can do with them. They all look good, and it will be interesting to see what the fans think."

PHOENIX -- The D-backs will have plenty of uniform combinations to choose from in 2016, as the team on Thursday unveiled eight uniform sets, which can also be mixed and matched to form even more looks.

"My head is spinning kind of figuring out what kind of matching they're going to do," outfielder A.J. Pollock said. "We have so many different types of combinations we can do with them. They all look good, and it will be interesting to see what the fans think."

"They brought us in very, very early before there were any designs," first baseman Paul Goldschmidt said. "They had jerseys from past All-Star Games, from other teams, from other sports. We had a ton of pictures, and they asked, 'What do you like about this? What do you not like?' To their credit, they came back and took pretty much every player's opinion and put it in there."

The team retained its main color mix of Sedona Red, Sonoran Sand and black, but added a teal to the mix as a nod to the Arizona Turquoise color that was a part of the franchise's original uniforms.

In addition to the multitude of combinations, the new uniforms are unique for the bold gray color used for the road uniforms. There is also a sublimated diamond pattern that adorns the shoulder, back, sleeve and pant leg on some of the uniforms, a subtle reference to the club's name.

The look is a unique one for baseball, but it is in step with what has been a theme of late for many college football teams, which have gone to multiple uniform combinations. It was a trend started by the University of Oregon.

"We knew it was a step we eventually had to take," D-backs team president and CEO Derrick Hall said. "And it takes a young franchise like us to be able to do it and pull it off because we don't have that rich history or tradition with just one uniform."

Multiple jerseys with unique designs appeal to the younger demographic that Major League Baseball is trying to reach.

"We appreciate that the Arizona Diamondbacks prioritized this goal in the redesign of their uniforms, which aim to appeal to kids while staying true to the team's identity," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said.

That they got the seal of approval from Goldschmidt, who has little use for flashiness, was important for the organization.

"I like to be old school, but I think just the way the game is going with all the stuff," he said. "It's not just us with these jerseys or these uniforms. We've seen the cleats, we seen guys' batting gloves and everything else out there," Goldschmidt said. "This is just the way the game is going. You want to retain some of the old-school mentality, I guess, or old-school look and not be too crazy. I was a little hesitant at first, but once you heard the reasons behind it and saw the designs and saw where they were going, it got you more and more excited."